Glycerol reduces food intake in diabetic rats

Streptozotocin diabetic rats received four daily subcutaneous injections of glycerol or a glycerol solution in place of water for a seven day period. Both night and total food intake in the subcutaneous glycerol group were significantly suppressed below untreated diabetic controls. The oral glycerol group showed a nonsignificant decrease in night foot intake and a significant reduction in day and total food intake. Consumption of additional fluid calories by the oral glycerol group contributed to the suppression of food intake in this group, but suppression in the subcutaneous group was unrelated to calculated calories obtained from glycerol. The oral glycerol group also consumed more of the glycerol solution than the other diabetic groups did of water. Results of this study support previous findings that subcutaneous and oral glycerol suppress food intake in normal rats although suppression with oral glycerol may have related to caloric intake, and suggest that low plasma concentrations of insulin do not interfere with the effects obtained with glycerol in normal animals.